Share this:

The Atlanta Hawks are putting themselves in position to be very active when the free-agent market opens Tuesday.

Just over 24 hours before the free agent frenzy was set to begin, the Hawks agreed to a trade with the Toronto Raptors that will help them open up more than $15 million in salary cap room, a person with knowledge of the agreement told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The person requested anonymity because the deal has not been officially announced.

The Hawks will get veteran forward John Salmons, who has a $1 million buyout on his $7 million salary that will create even more financial flexibility in Atlanta.

The Raptors will get Brazilian center Lucas Nogueira, the 16th overall pick last year who spent last season in Spain, and veteran guard Lou Williams, a scoring specialist who is under contract for almost $5.5 million next season.